On The Courtship of Seekers
by Oni-Gil
Summary: Seekers fly, live, work, and bond in threes. Thundercracker and Skywarp pursue a potential mate… said mate is less-than-enthusiastic. A whirlwind courtship commences…
1. Starscream

**Characters/Pairing:** Skywarp, Thundercracker, Starscream, TC/Screamer/Warp

**Summary:** Seekers fly, live, work, and bond in threes. Thundercracker and Skywarp pursue a potential mate… said mate is less-than-enthusiastic. A whirlwind courtship commences…

**Warnings:** Awkward/pitiful/comedic/sweet attempts to be romantic, eventual jetsmut

**A/N: **Welcome to the Oni-Gil Summer Special! Chapter 1/3?

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The two Seekers stood side by side, a little excited and perhaps a tiny bit nervous, but not showing it. Instead they put on their best arrogant, confident expressions and murmured to each other. They could, of course, have simply spoken over comlink, which would have been completely silent, but it was the air of nonchalant unconcern that they were going for, and standing there whispering with a furtive sort of air was guaranteed to make others notice them. Seekers _love_ to have others notice them.

Seekers are a private group. As with all models, they have their own little subculture that outsiders aren't privy to. Only another Seeker, just by looking, could have told us that these two are a bonded pair, open for a third to complete their trine. It's in their stance, the subtle fluctuations of their energy fields. Harder to tell with only a look, even for a Seeker, are the dynamics between them. For now, however, for story purposes, you should know that Seekers, much like Earth birds, look for three qualities in a potential mate: aesthetic appeal, aerial skill, and vocal harmonics. Not that Seekers summon mates by singing, as birds do, but for whatever reason, a fine speaking voice is like a magnet.

In the case of our bonded pair, the purple-and-black Seeker—the one doing much of the whispering—found these three qualities in the other: those sleek wings, that beautiful blue paintjob, the build a bit bulkier than normal but in a good way, a nice, strong mate to protect him; the speed and agility, the sheer talent… not many mechs could pull out of a top-speed dive from a hundred astrometers with only ticks to spare and land perfectly unscathed a half-cycle later; and that wonderfully smooth, deep voice.

Seekers are also stubborn, and this one in particular was determined to get this excellent catch before anyone else spotted him. And so he set about showing off, strutting around much like an organic bird, striving to win a glance, and finally red optics strayed his way. Like a sparkling with a first crush, he took every opportunity to impress his prospective mate, and he put on a rather impressive display of airborne acrobatics, and after that, he waited on his to-be-partner's every whim. It was a sometimes comedic, sometimes painful, sometimes strangely sweet courtship, which is, alas, a story for another time. The end result we see clearly: the bonded pair, waiting and watching for a third. _Their_ third, one who would meet both of their standards and complete their trine.

The two Seekers stood side by side, muttering to each other. They had just joined the illustrious Decepticons and awaited assignment, whispering about their new comrades to pass the time.

And in he walked.

_He_ was another Seeker, red and white and blue bright enough to put any feathered flyer to shame, and he moved as one completely conscious of his superiority and attractiveness and unafraid to flaunt it. His appearance hit all the right triggers, and the other two reacted accordingly.

"Woah," Skywarp, the talkative purple one, murmured appreciatively, optics traveling over the slender frame and the perfect wings. "Will you look at that!"

"Quite a paint job," Thundercracker agreed. His purple mate goggled at the stranger.

"And check out the pretty wings," he hissed. "Think he's claimed?"

It took only a moment to check; Seekers are sensitive to each other's energy fields. "No."

Skywarp grinned gleefully. "Oh, lucky orn! So bright… he's either desperate or advertising."

"Or compensating for something," TC replied with a snicker.

The red Seeker shot them a withering look, one normally reserved for the remnants of some sort of squishy alien life form on the bottom of one's pede. This caused some minor consternation for the pair.

"_Someone's_ sending mixed messages," TC muttered.

Before either of them could ogle any more, the massive, intimidating silver mech who was now their leader looked up with a sudden glow of scarlet optics.

"Starscream!"

The other Seeker pulled his glare away from the pair; instead, it landed squarely on Megatron. Thundercracker and Skywarp nearly leaned forward in anticipation, their intakes pausing, Sparks skipping a pulse or two, waiting with rapt attention, eager, hungry…

"Yes, oh _wise_ and _glorious_ leader?"

The bonded pair gained a few odd glances from the other Decepticons, and for an understandable reason: both of them had jerked back, so startled were they by the sounds emitting from this otherwise glorious creature. Not only were the words heavily laden with cynical, biting sarcasm, but that _voice_. It was what happened when an ancient parrot was crossed with a dying feline, hoarse and screechy and high and _definitely_ incongruous coming from the lovely creature standing before them and _most definitely_ not what they were looking for.

"Ouch," Skywarp whispered.

"I told you he was compensating for something," TC answered.

If either of them had cared to look at the red Seeker's face just then instead of unfocusing their optics in a sort of horrified stupor, they might have noticed the tightening of his optics, the thinning of his lips, and the utter hatred with which he now watched Megatron, even more intense than usual. If they'd still been eagerly scanning his energy field for little hints and clues, they would have noticed the tortured humiliation he burned with while and after he spoke. But as neither of them were looking, you, reader, are the only one to realize just how mortifying it was for Starscream to have to speak, just then, under the watchful optics and audios of two Seekers who he'd never seen before.

This includes Megatron, naturally, and the tyrant had no idea what sort of agonizing ignominy he had just afflicted on his second-in-command. Doubtless he'd have been pleased to know, but in this case, he had Important Things weighing on his processor and had neither time nor interest to research the social habits of Seekers. This said, his next flyer faux pas was perfectly understandable.

"These recruits are with you," he said, jerking his chin irritably towards Skywarp and Thundercracker. "Take them and train them, and I expect you all to be prepared by the next skirmish."

Starscream stared. "But Meg—"

"You're always complaining that you need a trine. Now you have one."

"You can't just—!"

"_Go_."

The sheer amount of menace that Megatron's voice can achieve is formidable; violation of Seeker tradition is the same. Understand that you cannot simply assume that three Seekers make a trine. Trines are interesting units made out of carefully calculated associations that often form over a great many vorns. Trines are normally bonded, or on their way to being bonded, or at least compatible. A sloppily-put-together trine can be more of a hindrance than a help, let me assure you. Megatron's mistake was one which any non-Seeker can easily make: he saw two Seekers and one Seeker and added them together to form three Seekers; that is, a trine.

However, Seeker tradition has no fusion cannon with which one can be intimately familiar, so Starscream chose the immediate lesser of two evils. He turned to the two Seekers, whose horror had reached new depths with their leader's command, and gestured sharply for them to follow him... he did not speak. In fact, he didn't speak again until they had traversed the intricate labyrinth that was the Decepticon headquarters, eventually coming to a door that presumably led to their new commander's… their… quarters.

The red Seeker keyed in the code for the door and stepped inside. The others had to follow quickly; the door closed in a hurry, nearly taking off Skywarp's wing.

These rooms were much better than the standard Decepticon barracks. The one they stood in was spacious but sparse – there was a berth, a console, and a shelf of datapads. One closed door led to the left. Two more led to the right, one closed but unlocked, the other open to a small washracks area.

"Your room is through there," Starscream rasped, pointing at the closed door to the right. "You have your own washracks." He didn't look at them while he spoke, probably so he wouldn't have to see how they flinched at the sound of his voice.

"Thank you," Thundercracker said.

Let us take a glimpse into Thundercracker's personality. He was unusually down-to-Cybertron for a Seeker, sensible and practical. He wasn't one to endure hissy-fits or other sparkling-like behaviors. And the way he saw it, Starscream was being silly. Though in Starscream's defense, Skywarp was also being silly. The way TC saw it, they would have to grin and bear it and work together whether they liked it or not, so they might as well get to know each other and that would be that.

"My designation is Thundercracker," he said, making sure Starscream looked at him. "And this is Skywarp."

"Starscream," the other said after a moment. "_Commander_ Starscream to you."

"What happened to your, uh…" Skywarp trailed off, gesturing vaguely towards his throat.

Skywarp, reader, was not the most tactful of Seekers.

Starscream glared at him, unconsciously rubbing his throat. "An accident," he growled. "The medics tried to fix it but only made it worse." He jerked sharply around and pushed past them, exiting.

"He didn't even say goodbye!" Skywarp huffed. TC glared at him. "What?"

"You don't have to antagonize him," the blue Seeker said sternly. "It's obviously a sensitive subject."

"Yeah, but, TC, I don't want to be in a trine with _him_. Sure, he's pretty, but… still. How could Megatron just stick us with him?! It's not right! If I'm gonna be in a trine with someone, I want it to be someone I know, you know?"

"I don't like it either," TC agreed, "but that's how it is. We can get to know him. We can work with him. Just try not to sabotage it, all right?"

Skywarp pouted, but TC gave him a peck on the cheek to cheer him up.

"Fine," the black Seeker agreed. "All right, where'd he flounce off to?"

* * *

For the second time that joor, Skywarp and Thundercracker were rendered speechless, staring open-mouthed into the sky, where the distant form of their new commander and trineleader could be seen wheeling about.

"Primus," Skywarp sighed longingly. "Look at _that._"

All Seekers love the air. They are Cybertron's best fliers, Sparked to soar. And Starscream, reader, loved it most of all. Perhaps it was because he had nothing else to love. He was an artist when it came to flight, an acrobat, a dancer. He was the pinnacle of his kind, all speed and agility and perfection. He twirled and looped and barrel-rolled and spiraled and dove and never slipped, never got dizzy, never lost his bearings. He put on a dazzling display even if nobody was watching – which, in this case, they were, but Starscream didn't know that. He was working off his anger, his frustration. All of his death-defying stunts made him concentrate firmly on staying alive, draining all thought of his new wingmates.

It was a beautiful sight to behold, and it is my sincerest regret that I cannot adequately put it into words. Suffice it to say that Skywarp and Thundercracker were spellbound, for this was an entirely different side to Starscream and neither of them knew quite what to think.

"I've changed my mind," Skywarp said decisively. "He… look at that, TC! Why would anyone _not_ want that?"

"You'll change your mind again the next time he opens his mouth," Thundercracker answered. "I know you, 'Warp."

"But he's _gorgeous _and look how he _flies_! Two out of three is fine in my processor."

TC shook his head wearily. As he'd said, he knew his bondmate. Though between you and me, reader, Thundercracker was more than ready to court Starscream, he was a caring bondmate and needed to be sure that Skywarp would welcome the third member of their trine.

Starscream came in for a landing and nearly bowled them over carelessly as he touched down.

"What do you two want?" he sneered. To TC's surprise, Skywarp stepped forward, extending a hand.

"I wanted to apologize for upsetting you earlier," he said. "I didn't mean to poke my olfactory sensors into your business."

Starscream looked from his hand to his optics and back before nodding shortly. Skywarp let his hand fall back to his side, but wasn't discouraged from his campaign for friendship.

"That was some flying," he said honestly, grinning. "Will you teach me some of those tricks? I don't think I've ever seen anyone as good in the sky as you." His energy field nudged playfully against Starscream's. The red Seeker twitched, startled, his energy field drawing in close about him. "I mean, if I could move like that, I'd have Seekers throwing themselves at me, just begging—"

_//Careful,//_ TC warned. 'Warp stopped, but his energy field brushed coyly against Starscream's, blatantly flirtatious.

"—begging for me to teach them," he finished smoothly. "I, ah… it was spectacular. Truly… beautiful."

Starscream's face had gone from suspicious to startled to astounded. His optics, wide in surprise, grew lighter. His mouth was slightly open, not frowning, and without the scowl he was lovelier than ever. He glanced from one to the other and saw that they were both of the same mind.

Then his stunned face morphed into sudden fury.

Now, reader, let us examine Starscream's psychology. You see, as we have discussed, he was ashamed of his voice. And in spite of his attractive form and fantastic flying, that glitch had driven away all previous potential mates. This wasn't the first time that an incomplete trine had approached him, but before it had always happened in the same way: they had built up his hopes, gained his trust, then spurned him and tossed him aside. After a few repeats of this, Starscream had gotten tired of getting his Spark broken and had begun to preempt this sort of thing by rejecting everyone who tried to approach him. Deep down he wanted a trine, as all Seekers do, wanted it desperately, but he was so convinced that everyone was out to mock him that he refused to consider that anyone would actually consider bonding with him.

"I see how it is," he shrieked. "You're making fun of me! Isn't it enough that I'll never have a trine without you teasing me and mocking me?! I don't _need_ a trine... I don't _want_ a trine!... and I don't need _you!_"

He whirled and flew off into the sky, vanishing swiftly from range.

"I think I'm in love," Skywarp said weakly.

And so the great irony is this: that Starscream was trying his hardest to avoid the very thing he most craved, and that Thundercracker and Skywarp were eagerly pursuing a mate that any other Seekers would find repulsive.


	2. Skywarp

**A/N:** Okay, "summer special" as in "updated every summer?" Haha… well, I finally worked up my courage to continue this. I hope it satisfies!

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Another interesting fact to note about Seekers is that they can be incredibly persistent. Skywarp is an excellent example of this trait: once he gets an idea into his processor (which can take some time… Skywarp is many things, reader, but "bright" is not among them) he holds onto it, plays with it, chases it around, and finally acts on it.

Bonding with Thundercracker did little to improve Skywarp's patience, although some claimed it may have helped. So once he decided that he wanted to get Starscream into their trine, there could be no dissuading him.

We join our lovestruck Seeker in the doorway between his room and Starscream's, head peeking around the frame to check that the coast was clear, suspicious-looking package clasped tightly in his arms.

"What are you doing?" came Thundercracker's weary (but still lovely and deep) voice from behind him.

"I felt bad about scaring Screamer away yesterday, so I made him a feel-better present."

"I'm not sure that's the best nickname under the circumstances, Warp."

"Really? Why not?"

Thundercracker explained it to him. Again.

"Oh. Maybe not." But Skywarp's attention had already fled, as it was wont to do, and he tiptoed into Starscream's empty quarters to put the package on his berth.

"Do I even want to know what's in there?" Thundercracker asked, coming up to examine the brightly-painted metal box.

"You'll see, you'll see! Don't worry, it doesn't blow up or anything… hey, TC, what are you doing?"

Thundercracker had raised the box to his audio to check for ticking. Satisfied that the box would indeed not blow up, he put it back and allowed Skywarp to tug him back in the direction of their quarters just as the sound of the washracks stopped.

"Warp, don't you think you should maybe just give him a little time to get to know us?" he asked as the door closed.

"What kind of an idea is that? I want a proper trine already!"

Thundercracker sighed. Still, you should know, he secretly found Skywarp's exuberance endearing, if in a sometimes exasperating way. After all, he had hardly had any time to get to know Skywarp until the purple Seeker had embarked on a similar madcap campaign to get Thundercracker to notice him. Maybe the same strategy would work on Starscream.

It didn't take long for Starscream to notice the foreign box on his berth. He glared at it suspiciously, daring it to reveal its secrets, then prodded it and leapt back—just in case.

(Starscream, reader, was just the slightest bit paranoid. Then again, he did have a good reason, since usually mysterious "gifts" passed between Decepticons tended to explode.)

Next he raised it up to his audio as Thundercracker had, and finally—with a suspicious glare at his new "wingmates'" quarters—undid the clasp. Inside the box was—actually, Starscream wasn't really sure what it was, even given his impressive skills of observation. He picked the small metal object up and turned it over a few times in his hands until he discovered which way was "up." It seemed to be a crude, handmade model of some sort, and it seemed to be of Skywarp. At least, it was in the general shape of a Seeker, was messily painted purple, and held a little sign saying (in messy glyphs) "Sorry!"

Starscream blinked his optic shutters several times, still trying to puzzle it out. Was this supposed to be some sort of joke? Or could the half-wit actually be trying to apologize? Starscream snorted in disbelief. Right. Maybe he could have believed that a few decavorns ago, but not anymore. He'd been hurt a few times too often.

Still, between you and me, Starscream thought it was cute, in an idiotic way. He subspaced the little model Skywarp and picked up the box.

"Skywarp!"

Skywarp, who had been lingering just behind the door, came bursting through at once (making it painfully obvious that he had, in fact, been waiting for his new trineleader's reaction). "What? What?"

The (now-empty) box bounced off of his helm with a hollow thunk.

_Like I suspected… empty,_ Thundercracker thought in amusement.

"You have your own quarters for a reason. Don't leave any of your junk in mine." Starscream tossed his head and turned away. "Dismissed."

The other two Seekers retreated hastily back into their quarters. Thundercracker had expected Skywarp to look disappointed, but he was grinning broadly instead, and as soon as the door closed he displayed the (lack of) contents of the box.

"See? He took it anyway!"

"Whatever it was, he'll probably use it to file some sort of harassment report."

"Why would he do that? Come on, TC, he liked it! That means he's softening up! See, he'll get used to us!"

"I don't know. He didn't seem much better than the last time we talked to him, or did you forget he hasn't been speaking to us for the past few orns?"

Skywarp frowned. "True. Maybe I should try energon goodies next time."

* * *

Thundercracker thought it wise to give Starscream time to get to know them before they tried once again to make Starscream a proper wingmate. Skywarp, of course, did not share his opinion on the subject.

Starscream fumed silently as he stalked from the command center, fresh from his latest spat with Megatron. The nerve of the silver mech! The sheer nerve of him, dismissing Starscream's ideas offhand. And the Seeker was supposed to be his second-in-command, but _no_, Megatron never listened to anything _Starscream_ had to say.

Naturally this presented Skywarp, who was lurking further down the corridor, with a perfect opportunity. Perhaps a wise mech would have given Starscream a wide berth to avoid being on the receiving end of the Seeker's hoarsely screeching fury, but it goes without saying that Skywarp was not a particularly wise mech.

"Hey there," he said, bright and cheerful, stepping out in front of Starscream with a box of little glowing bonbons in his hands. "Energon goodie?"

Starscream stopped, more out of surprise that anyone had dared speak to him while he was in this black mood than out of desire for a goodie. "They're poisoned, aren't they."

(Perhaps I have already mentioned Starscream's paranoia, reader.)

"What? Why would they be poisoned?" Skywarp's face was of blank innocence. He took one of the candies and popped it into his own mouth, chewing and swallowing. "See?"

Starscream narrowed his optics, looking the purple Seeker up and down. _What's his defect? _he wondered. Why would anyone seek him out at a time like this? Certainly nobody sane.

It struck him suddenly that this was just the sort of thing he'd always imagined a wingmate would do. A wingmate would be there after Megatron tore him down, there with energon goodies and high-grade and a nice wing massage.

Starscream shook the images from his processor. Skywarp was _not_ his real wingmate. He and that big blue mate of his were just toying with him, like all the rest.

…and yet Skywarp looked so innocent, so guileless! And those energon goodies looked _good_, too.

"This is one of your little tricks," Starscream hissed, but that didn't stop him from grabbing the box of candies from Skywarp's hands. "Isn't it?"

"Tricks? What are you talking about? It's just candy, Screamer."

"Don't call me that!" Starscream snapped. That was still a sore spot, and Skywarp, reader, had a nasty habit of stepping on those. "Don't mock me!"

"I wasn't," Skywarp protested, optics wide. "I promise! I didn't mean it! I just thought it was, you know."

"I know what?"

"A cute nickname."

"Cute? _Cute?_" Starscream shrieked. "_How is this in any way_ _cute_?"

Skywarp made a valiant effort to hide his wince. Perhaps that should have told Starscream something; usually mechs had no problem showing him exactly how they felt about his grating voice, but here was poor Skywarp giving it his best shot. "I didn't mean it, Star."

"And don't call me _that_ either!" Starscream snarled in response. "My designation is Starscream, so use it!"

"Okay, Starscream."

Starscream balked. Something about that seemed wrong, too. Oh yes… everyone else was supposed to call him Air Commander or at least sir.

But Skywarp _had_ given him energon goodies. Starscream decided to let it slide in this case, but not out of any affection for the other Seeker, of course not…

Starscream huffed hot air from his vents and swept by, still clutching the box of candy. A wide grin spread across Skywarp's face. In his opinion, this was progress.

* * *

Starscream munched on the energon goodies as he tried to focus on the datapad in his hand. They were surprisingly tasty and had probably cost Skywarp more than a few credits. Well, it would take more than that to get him on Starscream's good side, especially since the red Seeker had him figured out…

He cursed under his breath and started over, reading the glyphs for perhaps the third or fourth time. It wasn't as though he liked the goodies, any more than he liked the oaf who had given them to him. Though he had to admit, in some far-distant corner of his Spark, it was sweet in a way.

And something didn't quite add up. Starscream had Skywarp pegged as the not-too-bright type, the sidekick, the comic relief. His record showed that he was a prankster, after all. And his pathetic attempts at courtship… _courtship?_

Starscream growled, throwing the datapad at the wall and popping another goodie into his mouth to distract himself. This wasn't courtship! It was… teasing! Mocking! Insulting!

The problem was, reader, Starscream just didn't think Skywarp was, frankly, intelligent enough to tease him like this. His mischief, as indicated on his record, was always simple. He didn't have the processing power to think things out in the long term. So how could he engage in a plot to break Starscream's Spark yet again?

That wasn't to say, Starscream hastily assured himself, that he believed Skywarp could actually want to bond with him. A Seeker would have to be crazy to want him with his defect.

(Then again, he didn't particularly want to admit, Skywarp was hardly sane.)

No, it was the blue one that was the problem. Thundercracker had the processing power that Skywarp lacked. He could orchestrate a scheme like this, and manipulate his gullible mate into courting Starscream. He was the one to watch out for.

* * *

As the orbits passed, Starscream began to notice all the little things Skywarp did. His datapads were mysteriously picked up off the floor while he was away; an energon cube usually awaited him at his desk; an extra container of polish ended up in his washracks. Little gifts appeared now and then as well, from shiny crystals to more energon goodies. Starscream was secretly flattered by all the attention, but he took care to keep a stern face. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. Thundercracker had put his more sincere wingmate up to it.

Still, it was cute. In an idiotic way.

But the blue Seeker remained withdrawn, probably watching to see how Skywarp's efforts were affecting Starscream, so Starscream gave him nothing to see. Creepy aloof self-absorbed Thundercracker.

The invitation took him quite by surprise.

"What?"

"I said," Skywarp repeated, with remarkable patience—for him, "do you want to go flying with me?"

"We fly all the time," Starscream answered. The three of them had been running routine patrols, nothing fancy.

"Yes, but that's different," Skywarp pestered. "Please? Please please? I want to fly for you."

For _me?_ Starscream wondered. Now what could that purple Seeker be up to? Starscream, reader, retained some characteristics from his scientific background, and insatiable curiosity was one of them.

"All right," he said cautiously. "Fine."

Skywarp gave a trill of joy and leapt at him. Starscream jumped back, startled by the attack, only to suddenly realize it was not an attack at all, but a… hug. He thrashed and spat, only to be knocked dizzy by a sudden swirl of gravity, and then they were out under the sky.

He'd seen Skywarp's signature ability before, of course, but he had never felt it until now, and he decided he never wanted to feel it again. Skywarp's enthusiasm, however, couldn't be dampened by the glare Starscream directed his way. He shot off into the sky, and as Starscream watched him he forgot to take off.

This wasn't just any flight… it was a dance, a dance for one but with plenty of hints at another part or two. A courtship dance.

Starscream, of course, didn't know this, but he was taken aback by what he saw nevertheless. Skywarp's acrobatics were indeed optic-catching; he flew with great skill (if perhaps not quite as well as Starscream, the red Seeker quickly reassured himself) and he clearly knew it. He utilized his warping ability to its fullest, giving the flight a more personal touch as he dodged and rolled and spun and dove.

Starscream remembered that it was beneath his dignity to gape. Skywarp was clearly an excellent flier, though, and he wasn't bad-looking, and his voice was actually rather—

_No. No, Starscream, don't go there…!_

Still, the urge to go up and join him was too great to resist. Just for fun, Starscream told himself. Nothing serious. Let Skywarp think he was breaking down. The laugh would be on the other two later, when they realized that Starscream hadn't fallen for their pathetic trick after all.

He flew to meet Skywarp, folding neatly into his altmode and waggling his wings in challenge. The other Seeker took chase, following him through a complex imaginary obstacle course, looping and swirling in the air. At times Starscream doubled suddenly back, but Skywarp never ran into him, just peeled off to make room and came back after a moment's adjustment. It was impressive, Starscream had to grudgingly admit… Skywarp's reflexes were undeniably fast, and he was obviously very good in the air.

Besides that, it felt nice to fly with him. Starscream, for all that he was the Air Commander of the Decepticons, rarely flew _with_ anyone, he just happened to fly in front of them and they followed. But with Skywarp it was different. He kept up. He knew how to move when and where Starscream wanted him to. He knew when to leave space and when to come in close, and when he _did _come in close, his energy field stretched out to brush against Starscream's, almost pleadingly.

Almost like he actually…

Starscream angled suddenly towards the ground, shifting back to bipedal mode as he dove, pedes-first. Enough was enough. He'd wasted too much of his time letting Skywarp have his fun. He didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea. It wasn't as though he actually liked Skywarp. It wasn't as though Skywarp actually wanted him. He was just like all the rest of them, he and that mate of his…

And speaking of Thundercracker, Starscream's landing faltered just a bit when he saw the blue Seeker standing there. How long had he been there, he wondered? Had he been laughing at their antics, at how easily Starscream had fallen for it?

Creepy, aloof, self-absorbed Thundercracker… he made Starscream sick, with his beautiful deep voice and his serious face and…

"What?" he shrieked as he touched down. "Come to enjoy the show? You think all it takes is some candy and some cute little barrel rolls to get me in your berth? You're despicable, _both_ of you! I hate you!"

He stormed off into the base just as Skywarp landed behind him. The purple Seeker was almost giddy with his success, despite Starscream's harsh words. As we have previously discussed, reader, he was incredibly persistent.

"TC, did you see that? He flew with me, I mean really flew with me! We're really getting somewhere, I'm telling you!"

Thundercracker wasn't so sure. Starscream still seemed determined to repel all their advances.

Yet Skywarp did indeed seem to be softening him. Maybe his silly mate had been right… maybe Starscream would get used to them, and perhaps Thundercracker's waiting game wouldn't pay off.

Maybe, he decided, it was time to act just a little bit more like Skywarp…

Only not quite as idiotic.


	3. Thundercracker

**3. Thundercracker**

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* * *

**

"Dear Primus, how long can he hide?" Skywarp burst out, chucking his empty energon cube at the wall. Starscream had been conspicuously absent for the past few orns, not even appearing in their quarters. The excuse given by Soundwave and confirmed by the records was a long patrol.

Thundercracker sighed. "It's only a matter of time. We're not sitting around here forever—we're moving out in a few orns." He stood up, pacing restlessly. "We'll get him, Warp. We'll make him see."

* * *

TC caught up with Starscream near the command center. The red Seeker spotted him and turned right around, heading in the opposite direction.

"Starscream, wait!" Thundercracker called, following close behind and grabbing his arm.

"I don't want to talk to you," Starscream hissed, trying to jerk from his grip, but Thundercracker wasn't larger and stronger for nothing. He pinned his commander to the wall by both arms.

"Just listen to me. Please."

Starscream glared, but stopped struggling. His energy field was held in close to his plating, fizzing and sparking angrily when Thundercracker's drew near.

"Skywarp and I weren't making fun of you," TC said earnestly. "We're serious. We want to get to know you, Starscream. We want to learn from you and to teach you. We want you in our trine… properly."

Again, Starscream was torn between surprise and suspicion. "Why would anyone want someone like me?" he grated out. "Someone who sounds the way I do?"

"Someone who flies like you," TC countered. "You _want_ a trine. I know you do. _We_ will be your wingmates, if you let us."

"I don't trust you."

"Starscream…"

"Shut up!"

Starscream bucked in his grasp, kicking out, and TC let him go. The red Seeker left him behind, nearly smacking Thundercracker in the face with his wings as he did so.

* * *

_The _nerve_ of him! The brazen nerve!_

Starscream fumed, engines growling. Oh, he'd seen this one before, though the big blue lout was admittedly a better actor than most. _We really like you, we want you in our trine…!_

"Oh, of _course_ you do," he muttered sarcastically as he stalked down the corridor. Thundercracker and Skywarp were probably laughing about it right now in their quarters.

Fraggit… now he was thinking about Skywarp and the wonderful fly they'd had together. The way the light had glinted off of Skywarp's wings when he moved. The way they had seemed to fit so perfectly up in the sky, the way Skywarp had moved with him as surely as though they had shared the same processor. The way Skywarp smiled with a touch of an apology, or, even better, when he just smiled…

"Slaggit!"

Starscream whirled and punched the wall. Hard. He examined the dent he'd left.

Why was he getting so worked up about Skywarp? And why, why, _why_ did he suddenly want Thundercracker to fly with him as well, just so he could feel what it was like? Why did the blue Seeker's voice still repeat on loop somewhere in his audios, just for the wonderful sound of it?

What was _wrong _with him?

We have discussed the stubbornness of Seekers, and now stubbornness was the only thing that kept Starscream going. If there was one thing he hated, it was being forced to eat his words, to swallow his pride. So he wouldn't admit it, not even to himself.

"There's nothing to admit," Starscream hissed. "_Nothing!_"

* * *

Skywarp was worried. And Skywarp, reader, was not the type of Seeker to worry. He loved TC, he truly did, but sometimes his mate's approach to things frustrated him. And his approach to Starscream, slow and cautious, was clearly not working.

If only, he thought, there were some way to _force_ him to be direct. If TC and Starscream just spent enough time together to actually _interact_, Starscream was bound to like him. What wasn't to like? TC was perfect. And he already liked Starscream.

But how to manage it? Skywarp didn't think a romantic dinner would work, nor a scheduled flight (too much sky for Starscream to hide in). He wasn't a relationship counselor, he was a prankster…!

And then Skywarp had the Idea. An Idea so _perfect_, so typically _Skywarp_ that it made a rather evil grin curl his mouthplates.

Starscream and Thundercracker _would_ spend some time together. They'd have no choice…

* * *

Storage Closet 33-D was not on Thundercracker's list of destinations for the orn. Or at least, it hadn't been until Skywarp had discovered that the energon dispenser in their quarters was missing an important part, and Closet 33-D was the closest place to find it.

Ordinarily TC would have sent Skywarp for the part, but he knew his mate would probably bring back the wrong thing at least twice (Skywarp was cute, but he wasn't too bright) and he was _hungry_, so out he had gone, down the hall to the closet. The box he needed was a few steps in, at the back, so he had to actually go inside, wings twitching at the small space. There were no lights in here, but the open door let in the illumination of the hallway so he could see what he was doing.

This light was abruptly blocked by a winged silhouette.

"Oh, it's _you_," Starscream said in a tone normally reserved for vermin discovered in the energon supply. He glanced at the box of parts, then at Thundercracker, then at the parts, and stepped inside. There was just enough room for the two of them to fit. "I need one of those."

"What for?" TC asked.

"Broken energon dispenser." Starscream gestured impatiently at the box.

Just as a nasty suspicion sprang into Thundercracker's processor, the door slid shut, plunging them into darkness, lit only by the red gleam of their optics.

"Skywarp!"

Starscream tried the door. (Thundercracker couldn't see this, of course, but he assumed from the noise.) "Slagger locked it. You planned this, didn't you? Clearly I underestimated the lengths you'll go to—"

"I had nothing to do with it," TC snapped, uncharacteristically annoyed. Thundercracker, reader, was usually a perfectly mild-mannered Seeker, among the calmest of his kind, but any Seeker will get testy when locked in a small, dark space. "You think I like this any more than you? Skywarp!"

There was no answer to his shout—Skywarp had already fled the area, sniggering all the way, leaving the other two trapped in Storage Closet 33-D for some quality time.

"This is all your fault," Starscream muttered. "Ouch! Watch where you're swinging your wings!"

"Sorry. I can't see a thing."

"Then activate your night vision."

TC would have snapped at him, something along the lines of "I know _that_, stupid," but then he remembered that he and Skywarp were supposed to be courting Starscream. Come to think of it, this was probably one of Skywarp's crazy plans to get Starscream to like them. He switched his optics over to see Starscream with his arms crossed, looking decidedly annoyed. If Warp was going for a romantic atmosphere, this probably wasn't the best place for it.

"He's probably not going to let us out for a while, if I know him," Thundercracker said, feeling the need to apologize for Skywarp's actions. "He's a bit of a prankster."

"I know. I pulled his record," Starscream answered shortly.

There was a silence. Oddly, it was Starscream who broke it, and he sounded almost hesitant.

"How do you put up with him?"

Thundercracker shrugged, surprised. "He's my wingmate. He can be stupid sometimes, but I love him anyway. He doesn't have to be perfect." He let that sink in, then added, "Besides, for every dumb trick he pulls like this, he does something nice later to apologize. It's sweet, in an annoying way."

Starscream absorbed this in silence. Thundercracker wondered what he was thinking. If he was lucky, it would be _Maybe these two aren't so bad._ If he wasn't, it could be _These two are such morons._

Truthfully, it was _These two are morons… but not so bad. For morons. _Starscream huffed, squeezing his arms more tightly across his cockpit. Now that Thundercracker was actually talking to him, he didn't _seem_ like the mastermind of a devious plot to trick Starscream. Still, that might have been exactly what he was meant to think.

But when Thundercracker had been talking about his mate, no matter how annoying Skywarp had proven this morning, his tone had still been affectionate. The purple Seeker was clearly far from perfect… yet he had found a mate. So why should it be any different for Starscream…?

"I should give him three shifts of monitor duty for this," Starscream said, desperate to get his processor off the subject. It wouldn't do for his Spark to get tangled up with these two, not after he'd gone so long without getting hurt.

"You could." Thundercracker's tone of voice gave nothing away. Starscream growled. He _could_ give Skywarp a much more severe punishment, as his commanding officer. But… he almost… _liked_ the mech. Enough to settle for monitor duty. And that in itself was strange… Starscream, reader, was not a mech to easily forgive anything.

It wasn't as though he… cared. For Skywarp.

"What is it," Thundercracker finally ventured, "with you and wingmates?"

Starscream froze. Of all things, he hadn't expected a question like _that_. Surely Thundercracker _knew_ what his problem was. He was the one taking advantage of it. Teasing him about it. Wasn't he?

"I'm sure you've noticed my compelling voice," he said acidly. And now he would lie, just like the others had. They'd told him there was nothing wrong with it, that they thought it was beautiful, and he had once believed them.

Thundercracker was silent for a time. "We did notice," he answered at last. Starscream jerked his head up, goggling at him through the darkness. "But it's obviously not a subject you'd want to talk about."

"That's right."

"But, Starscream… I've never seen any other Seeker fly the way you do."

Starscream reset his optics. He'd thought he had Thundercracker figured out, and yet the blue Seeker surprised him at every turn. What did he think he was playing at? If he was going to gloat, then he was going about it all wrong.

Thundercracker persisted, hoping he wasn't only making matters worse. "Skywarp and I want to be your wingmates. We have much to learn from you… and you can learn from us."

"You don't fly too poorly yourself," Starscream grudgingly admitted. He'd watched Thundercracker flying during exercises, the way he complemented Skywarp in the air and the way he flew individually. Hastily, he added, "but that doesn't mean I want to be your wingmate."

"Why not?" Thundercracker pressed. He had worried at first that Starscream simply had standards that he and Warp failed to meet, but as time passed it became ever more apparent that this wasn't the case.

"Because I've been tricked too often!" Starscream snapped. "Because you and your little mate are just the latest in a long line of Seekers who enjoy making mechs fall for them and then leaving them! And you won't get that satisfaction from me!"

It was Thundercracker's turn to sit in shock. Starscream fumed, wings flicking, optics smoldering. Now maybe they would finally give up on him, now that he'd exposed their little plan. Now they would leave, or he would make sure they were reassigned, no matter what Megatron had ordered, and he would never have to face them again… never be tempted by Skywarp's easy, open smile or Thundercracker's rumbling voice or their exquisite flying… never have to deal with these annoying twinges in his Spark when he thought about them.

"We would never hurt you like that."

Thundercracker's words jolted Starscream. The blue Seeker's voice was soft and controlled, almost upset.

"I don't see why anyone _would_," he went on. "You're beautiful, Starscream. And you're the best flier I've ever seen. Who _wouldn't_ want that, no matter what you sound like?" Starscream became aware that he was gaping, but he couldn't bring himself to close his mouth. "Skywarp and I want you to complete our trine, if you will have us. We want to fly with you forever."

_But surely…_ Yet Starscream couldn't detect even the slightest hint of a lie in Thundercracker's voice, and Starscream, reader, was an expert at reading others. He was… _sincere_. He _meant_ it. These two Seekers, these two very handsome, very talented Seekers, _wanted_ to be his wingmates. They knew about his voice and they _accepted_ it, the same way Thundercracker accepted Skywarp's pranks.

I have previously mentioned Starscream's pride and stubbornness, which had previously kept his processor and his Spark closed to Thundercracker's and Skywarp's overtures. But there in the darkness of Storage Closet 33-D, both pride and stubbornness collapsed.

Thundercracker had said his piece and was now waiting for a response. For a time Starscream didn't know what to say. What was he supposed to do now?

"I'm still giving Skywarp three shifts of monitor duty," he said at last, his voice cracking more than usual. "Even wingmates don't get favoritism."

Thundercracker's face broke into a rare smile.

If either of them thought it was suspicious that the door unlocked barely a cycle later, neither of them mentioned it to a madly-grinning Skywarp.

"Wow, I have no idea how that happened," he said innocently. "Locks must be faulty. Someone should report it. You two have fun in there?"

"Oh, yes," Starscream replied drily, "loads." Then, hesitantly, shyly, his energy field expanded out from his plating to mingle with Skywarp's and Thundercracker's.

_Mission accomplished,_ Skywarp congratulated himself. "I knew you just needed some 'alone time,'" he crowed, throwing his arms around Starscream. The other Seeker stiffened and Thundercracker worried that Skywarp might have gone too far, too fast, but instead of screeching or clawing at him, Starscream cuffed Skywarp over the helm.

"I hope you like staring at monitors, idiot."

"Monitors?" Skywarp whined, as Thundercracker smiled at them both. "But I want to go flying! You know, in honor of the occasion!"

_So he _had_ been listening in_, Thundercracker thought in amusement. "We've never truly flown with you before," he reminded Starscream.

"You mean, _I'll_ fly while you two will eat my vapor trail," Starscream scoffed.

It turned out to be true that Skywarp and Thundercracker spent most of the time in Starscream's vapor trail, but they didn't mind, not when all of their Sparks pulsed so joyfully behind their chestplates, when they executed maneuvers with perfectly-tuned precision, and landed with their three energy fields all in sync with each other.

And when Starscream turned to them with a small but genuine smile and said, "Nice flying up there," reader, neither Thundercracker nor Skywarp even noticed his rasping voice. Seekers, after all, are built and programmed to function in trines, and these three were as compatible a match as there ever was.

* * *

**A/N: **See, I was just kidding about waiting until next summer. :3 (Sorry for lack of jetsmut, but it wasn't really called for, was it?) Thanks for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this silly little thing! It was fun to write, rather different than my usual stuff. Refreshing, actually. What did you think?


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